FOR Blues, the song remains the same. And it's a painful, tortured lament.

Away from home they just cannot come up big when it is really, really needed.

Forget the battling, creditable performances at Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

When the requirement has been to pull a rabbit out of the hat, Blues have done a Tommy Cooper, only it's been no laughing matter.

Go back to the end of January and the game at Sunderland. It was a routine 2-0 win for the Black Cats, who were surprised at what little resistance or ingenuity Blues came up with.

At Reading, another must-win if not lose, Blues paid for lapses in concentration and missed chances and lost 2-1.

And that was the last time Reading scored a Premier League goal as well, by the way - March 22.

Then came the appalling embarrassments of Wigan Athletic (2-0 going on 5-0) and Villa (5-1 going on... well, you decide).

I suppose we shouldn't have expected anything different to a defeat at Craven Cottage, being realistic, judging on a par-for-the-course guideline.

One win in 19 away trips in league and cup - let's not forget Hudders-field Town - tells you all you need to know about missing quality, creativity, gumption.

Fair enough, had Blues turned a few of their draws at St Andrew's into wins, and they had enough opportunities to do so, they would not be staring relegation in the face.

But they are where they are for a reason, and it doesn't matter that they have only been in the drop zone for four weekends all campaign - three of them have been the last three.

At the end of March when Bolton Wanderers collapsed at home to Arsenal and Blues defeated Manchester City, we thought that was a defining moment. Fate. Four points was the cushion.

Not so, Bolton turned it around and so have Fulham, remarkably so, as Blues have laboured as much as surrendered too easily ever since.

Before Saturday's game, Alex McLeish implored his team to endorse his bullish, positive words about them. He asked for his big players to step up to the plate.

Nothing materialised on either count.

It swung Fulham's way when Blues conceded another soft goal from a free-kick. Having to chase the game, they were incapable, not forcing Kasey Keller into a single save. Then another mistake was made to gift a second goal. A familiar pattern.

Blues just don't play like that and Fulham, spurred on by a cacophonous atmosphere, won the personal battles and performed with more drive and conviction throughout.

Ironically, Blues, having a made a habit of conceding the opening goal in the first half on the road, felt reasonably comfortable at half-time.

A stunning save by Maik Taylor from Davies and a timely block by the imperious Radhi Jaidi denied Fulham's best openings, at the other end Mikael Forssell allowed a setup by Sebastian Larsson to roll under his studs as he tried to turn in front of goal.

Liam Ridgewell, who was playing very well, had to be substituted at the break after turning his ankle and Franck Queudrue slotted in at centre-back.

And it was Queudrue who became the central figure in Fulham's goals, the first from a 52nd-minute free-kick into the penalty area by Bullard.

Television replays have shown that Murphy and goalscorer Brian McBride were offside, just like John Carew for Villa.

Little consolation for Blues, and Queudrue was bumped off his marking duty by Brede Hangeland, enabling McBride to steer in a free header. It's not the first time Blues have been pushed around at setpieces either.

Mauro Zarate came on for the ineffective Olivier Kapo and Blues, going with three up front, increased the urgency but lacked the verve and end product to trouble a resolute and too-cute Fulham.

Cameron Jerome should have come on far earlier, if not started, as Blues are too easy to defend against away from home when they have no-one of his ilk to disturb the opposition shape with pace and the ability to go in behind and get away.

With four minutes to go, Jaidi rose to meet Larsson's corner only for his downward header to deflect away from goal off the back of Davies.

Blues should have got another corner, didn't get it and 60 seconds later Queudrue inexplicably tried a backwards cushioned header and only succeeded in setting up Erik Nevland to run through to score.

Game over and now Blues face the ordeal of a final day knowing that three results, including theirs, all have to fall perfectly.